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14 November 2016
By Conrad Prabhu
MUSCAT: The Special Economic Zone Authority at Duqm (SEZ) has awarded a pair of contracts worth RO 76 million for the construction of a comprehensive flood protection system designed to secure the zone’s multibillion dollar investments against major flood events.
The project, tendered out in separate contracts, entails the construction of an elaborate network of flood channels that will drain runoff from the Jurf and Saay wadis currently crisscrossing the SEZ, safety into the Arabian Sea. Additionally, flood protection dams will be built upstream of the Jurf and Saay wadis to stave off potential flood events that could imperil industrial schemes, most notably the Duqm Refinery project, to be located downstream of these wadis.
Turkish construction firm Serka Taahhut has been selected by the Authority to undertake the construction of channels along the downstream courses of the Jurf and Saay wadis, thereby ensuring that potential floodwaters are suitably diverted away from industrial developments.
Under the contract valued at around RO 49 million, a major outlet channel will be built to collect the outflow from both Jurf and Saay for eventual drainage into the sea. Both water courses will be suitably excavated, trained and streamlined to facilitate the smooth flow of floodwater into the sea. Channel widths range from 90 metres to a staggered 650 metres in places, underscoring the importance of this project to securing the safety of the SEZ’s industrial investments.
Significantly, Serka Taahhut is close to completing work on a ‘Channel Dangert’ — a massive 11-kilometre long drainage channel with a variable width of 60 to 100 metres. The contract, which is also a key component of the Flood Protection System, includes large quantities of earthworks, embankment fill, riprap construction and gabion construction. Separately, local Omani firm Premier International Projects (PIPOMAN) has been awarded a contract worth RO 27 million for the construction of flood protection dams upstream of the Jurf and Saay channel inlets. The dams, along with the drainage channels, are designed to convey the attenuated flood peaks safety through the SEZ to the sea.
The Jurf and Saay dams, according to officials, “will impound significant flood events in their reservoirs and release these waters in a controlled manner downstream”. The reservoirs are sized so that the 1000-year storm event is attenuated to the level of the 100-year natural flood, they noted.
Among the biggest beneficiaries of the massive flood protection system being developed by SEZAD is the $6 billion Duqm Refinery project, contracts for the execution of which will be awarded in 2017. Parts of a 900 hectare site earmarked for the project have been developed in preparation for the start of construction work.
By Conrad Prabhu
MUSCAT: The Special Economic Zone Authority at Duqm (SEZ) has awarded a pair of contracts worth RO 76 million for the construction of a comprehensive flood protection system designed to secure the zone’s multibillion dollar investments against major flood events.
The project, tendered out in separate contracts, entails the construction of an elaborate network of flood channels that will drain runoff from the Jurf and Saay wadis currently crisscrossing the SEZ, safety into the Arabian Sea. Additionally, flood protection dams will be built upstream of the Jurf and Saay wadis to stave off potential flood events that could imperil industrial schemes, most notably the Duqm Refinery project, to be located downstream of these wadis.
Turkish construction firm Serka Taahhut has been selected by the Authority to undertake the construction of channels along the downstream courses of the Jurf and Saay wadis, thereby ensuring that potential floodwaters are suitably diverted away from industrial developments.
Under the contract valued at around RO 49 million, a major outlet channel will be built to collect the outflow from both Jurf and Saay for eventual drainage into the sea. Both water courses will be suitably excavated, trained and streamlined to facilitate the smooth flow of floodwater into the sea. Channel widths range from 90 metres to a staggered 650 metres in places, underscoring the importance of this project to securing the safety of the SEZ’s industrial investments.
Significantly, Serka Taahhut is close to completing work on a ‘Channel Dangert’ — a massive 11-kilometre long drainage channel with a variable width of 60 to 100 metres. The contract, which is also a key component of the Flood Protection System, includes large quantities of earthworks, embankment fill, riprap construction and gabion construction. Separately, local Omani firm Premier International Projects (PIPOMAN) has been awarded a contract worth RO 27 million for the construction of flood protection dams upstream of the Jurf and Saay channel inlets. The dams, along with the drainage channels, are designed to convey the attenuated flood peaks safety through the SEZ to the sea.
The Jurf and Saay dams, according to officials, “will impound significant flood events in their reservoirs and release these waters in a controlled manner downstream”. The reservoirs are sized so that the 1000-year storm event is attenuated to the level of the 100-year natural flood, they noted.
Among the biggest beneficiaries of the massive flood protection system being developed by SEZAD is the $6 billion Duqm Refinery project, contracts for the execution of which will be awarded in 2017. Parts of a 900 hectare site earmarked for the project have been developed in preparation for the start of construction work.
© Oman Daily Observer 2016
